Azerbaijan's decline in UEFA's latest ranking will have a negative impact on our clubs.
The first games of the Round of 16 in the European club competitions held last week caused Azerbaijan to drop to 30th place in the ranking, Idman.biz reports.
Since no Azerbaijani teams are left in the competition, it won't be possible to move up the ranks or reclaim the lost position. Losing the 29th spot is crucial, as it plays a role in the division of spots for continental tournaments. This setback will affect the bronze medalist of the Misli Premier League.
The issue lies in the fact that the bronze medal-winning team from the country ranked 29th would enter the Conference League (CL) qualification from the second round, just like the silver medalist. However, the country ranked 30th places the bronze medalist in the first round of the Conference League qualifications.
This decline will not affect the Champions League (CL) or the Europa League (EL) as Azerbaijani teams in these tournaments will still compete in the first qualification round.
The consequences of dropping to the 30th position will be felt in the 2026/27 season. In that season, the champion will play in the CL, the cup winner in the EL, and the bronze medalist in the Conference League, all from the first qualification round. Of course, slight changes may occur depending on the cup winners, just as this season's Champions League win by "Real" has boosted Qarabag by one round due to their club ranking.
For the upcoming 2025/26 season, Azerbaijan will be represented as the 28th country. Two of our representatives in the Conference League will start from the second qualification round, while others will enter from the first.
Currently, Azerbaijan is ranked 30th with 19.250 points. Among the countries ranked lower, only Bosnia and Herzegovina still has a team left in the competition. However, it is nearly impossible for them to surpass Azerbaijan as they are 6.594 points behind.
Vugar Kheyrullayev
Idman.biz
